Kael
The scent of my mate was faint, a hint of lavender hidden beneath the thick, suffocating smell of pine and wet earth that clung to these pack lands.
My chest tightened, a low growl rumbling in my throat as I crouched in the shadows of the tree line. Silas stood beside me, his nose twitching as he caught the same trail.
"She’s close, your majesty," Silas murmured, his eyes darting toward the stone walls of the Academy. "The security is heavy tonight. Darius has doubled the patrols."
I didn’t answer him. I just pushed forward, my feet silent against the damp forest floor. I hadn't stepped onto these lands without an invitation in years, but the bond in my gut was tearing at my insides, dragging me toward her.
Darius thought he could claim her like a piece of property, locking her b
